Improved treatment of cancer with microbubbles, nanoparticles and ultrasound

With traditional chemotherapy typically only 0.001-0.01% of the injected dose reaches the tumor. The remaining drug leads to severe side effect on healthy cells and tissue. SINTEF has developed BubbleCAN, a technology based on nanoparticles, gas bubbles and focused ultrasound. Nanoparticles loaded with anti-cancer agents are used to form a shell around the gas bubbles. The nanoparticle-stabilized bubbles are injected into the blood stream. When they enter the tumor site, the ultrasound waves applied locally at the tumor lead to bubble collapse, formation of small pores in the blood vessels, and release of individual nanoparticles. The drug-loaded nanoparticles accumulate in tumor tissue and slowly release the drug. The BubbleCAN technology is relevant for tumors that are not effectively treated using existing treatment regimes. We have now shown that using BubbleCAN we can achieve considerably higher concentrations of drugs in tumors as compared to conventional chemotherapy. In a pilot study performed on triple-negative cancer in mice all mice treated with BubbleCAN were cured without relapse. The main goal of this BubbleCAN Milestone Project is to carry out a comprehensive preclinical study in mice with prostate cancer to verify the commercial potential of the BubbleCAN technology.